Overshoe buckle



Aug. 23, 1966 c. M. ECKART OVERSHOE BUCKLE Filed Aug. 21. 1964 INVENTOR. CLARENCE M. ECKART ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,267,545 OVERSHGE BUCKLE Clarence M. Ecitart, Rte. 2, Warnego, Kans. Filed Aug. 21, 1964. Ser. No. 391,103 1 Claim. (Cl. 24-466) The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in overshoe buckles, and particularly pertains to an overshoe buckle having a catch or latch element resiliently biased into latching position, such latch element being provided with manually operable means for moving the latch element to a limited extent sufficient to displace the same from latching position.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an overshoe buckle that will not become inadvertently unbuckled when the user thereof is Working in tall grass, weeds, brush or the like.

Attainment of such primary object will become evident in the light of the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, the same to be taken in conjunction with accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of the overshoe buckle of this invention showing the lift in its normal lowered position toward which it is resiliently biased to latch the buckle;

FIGURE 2 is an isometric view of the buckle shown in FIGURE 1; however, this view showing the lift raised to its upper limited position unl-atchin-g the buckle;

FIGURE 3 is a top elevational view of the buckle shown in FIGURE 1, with hidden details of construction being shown in dashed outline;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of the buckle shown in FIGURE 1, with hidden details of construction being shown in dashed outline;

FIGURE 5 is an end view of the buckle shown in FIGURE 1, the view being taken as from the left end of such showing, with the latch being shown in latching position in full lines and in unlatching position in dashed outline; and,

FIGURE 6 is an isometric view of the notched member.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the various views, the reference numeral 10 designates generally the shoe buckle, the same being comprised of latch structure 12 and an elongated or strip-like latchable element 14.

The latchable element 14 is provided with a series of upstanding teeth or notch defining portions 16 along the extent thereof. The teeth 16 have inclined upper surfaces 18 facing in one direction and have ends or notch faces 26 substantially normal to the extent of the element 14 and which face in a direction opposite to that faced by the inclined surfaces 18. As clearly shown in the drawings, the notch faces 20 are centrally open as indicated at 22. At the end 24 of the element 14 toward which the notches face, the element 14 is provided with a transverse slot 26 by means of which the element 14 can be secured to a shoe, not shown, in a conventional manner.

As will be evident on inspection of the drawings, esspecially FIGURES 4 and 6 thereof, the element 14 is arcuate along its length with the teeth or notches 16 being on the convex or upper side thereof.

The latch structure 12 comprises an elongated, tubular member or tube of substantially rectangular transverse configuration including spaced upper and bot-tom side walls 28 and 30, respectively, which are connected by spaced side walls 32 and 34. The bottom wall 30 is of relatively extended length at the front and rear ends of the tubular member to define, respectively, a lip and an attaching portion 38, the latter being provided with a transverse slot 40 by means of which the latch structure 12 can be conventionally secured to a shoe, not shown.

The upper wall 28 is provided with laterally projecting flanges or detents 42 and 44 that extend outwardly from the side walls 32 and 34, respectively, for a purpose to be presently described. Additionally, the upper wall 28 is provided adjacent its forward end with a transverse slot 46, also for a purpose to be presently explained.

The latch structure 12 is, in a manner generally similar to the latchable element 14, of arcuate configuration with the convex side uppermost.

The, latchable element 14 is slidable into and out of the latch construction 12 with the lip 36 serving to aid the user in guiding the introduction of the element 14 into the hollow interior of the latch structure 12. The element 14 is introduced into the forward end of the latch structure 12 with an end 48 of the element 14 being foremost and with the notches 16 extending upwardly toward the internal surface of the upper wall 28.

Such introduction of the element 14 into the latch structure 12 sequentially passes the series of notches or teeth 16 directly below the slot 46.

An L-shaped leaf spring including a relatively long leg 50 and a relatively short leg 52 is provided, and an end portion 54 of the leg 50 remote from the leg 52 is welded securely to the external top surface of the upper wall 28 adjacent the rear end of the latter as indicated at 56. The underside of the leg 50 seats flush against the top of the upper wall 28 in the absence of the application of external forces against the resiliency or bias of th leaf spring constituted of the legs 50 and 52. The leg 52 which constitutes a catch or latch projects downwardly through the slot 46 and into the interior of the latch structure 12 to such an extent (when the leg 50 is seated against the upper wall 28) as to engage one of the notch faces 20 and to prevent withdrawal of the latchable element 14 when the latter is inserted into the latch structure 12, as will be clearly apparent.

Means are provided to enable the manual raising of the leg or latch 52 from engagement with the notches or teeth 16 to permit withdrawal of the latchable element 14 from the latch structure 12. Such means comprises a lift 58 secured to the leg 50. The lift 58 is a generally U-shaped member including a central horizontal web 60 and depending legs 62 and 64, the legs 62 and 64 at their lowermost extremities being provided with inturned flanges 66 and 68, respectively. The web 61) overlies the spring leg 50 adjacent the juncture of the latter with the leg or latch 52 and is fixedly secured thereto as by Welding 70.

As clearly shown in the drawings, the legs 62 and 64 are at right angles to the central or base portion 60 of the lift 58 and are disposed on opposite sides of the flanges or detents 42 and 44. The inwardly extending bends or flanges 66 and 68 are at right angles to the legs 62 and 64 and are directed towards the side walls 32 and 34, the arrangement being such that the lift 58 can be held by the fingers gripping the legs 62 and 64 thereof and lifted so as to flex the spring leg 50 and to thereby raise the leg or catch 52 from the notches 16, such raising action being limited by engagement of the flanges 66 and 68 against the undersides of the detents 42 and 68, respectively. Release of the lift 58 results in the leg or catch 52 returning to its latching position because of the resiliency or bias of the spring leg 50.

It is important to note that when the buckle 10 is latched that the space between the lift 58 and other parts of the latch structure 12 is so limited that the liklihood is minimized that grass, weeds or brush may bcome engaged in such space so as to inadvertently unlatch the buckle 10.

The buckle 10 can, for example, be made of such materials as afford the requisite resiliency of the spring leg 56 and which lend themselves to the welding 56 and 70.

The making, usage and advantages of the invention will be amply clear from the foregoing, particularly to those familiar with the art, and further explanation is unnecessary.

Having thus completely and fully described the invention, what is now claimed as new :and desired to be protected by Letters Patent of the United States is:

An overshoe buckle comprising a strip-like part having notches; a tubular member for receiving said part, a detent on the exterior of two opposite side walls of said tubular member, there being a slot in the top wall of said tubular member, a leaf spring attached at one end to the exterior of said top wall and having a bent portion forming a catch at its other end extending through said slot into the interior of said tubular member to engage the notches on said strip-like part, a substantially U-shaped lift for manual engagement attached at its base portions to said spring adjacent said catch :and having its legs extending along the exterior of said side walls, inwardly extending bends on the ends of the legs directed toward said side wall and engageable with said detents to limit upward movement of said lift.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 848,899 4/ 1907 Hainsfurther 24206 941,542 11/1909 Simpson 24-23O 1,663,621 3/1928 Bowman 242()6 1,823,043 9/1931 Heugas 24-206 15 BERNARD A. GELAK, Primary Examiner. 

